When Should You Do Cardio For Maximum Lean Muscle Gains?

By Russ Howe


One of the most regularly asked questions in the fitness industry is 'Should you do cardio before or after weights for better fat loss and muscle growth?' Lots of people are lost in the subject of how to build muscle so today we'll clear up the science behind this subject for you.

There are a number of myths in the fitness industry which lead to confusion. This is because there is still so much scientific research which needs to be carried out. Thankfully, this particular area is something that has now been cleared up.

Over the last five years or so, there have been a number of tests on subjects to figure out the definitive answer to this popular fitness myth.
The video today will explain whether you should do cardio before or after weights in the gym.


The most common misconception in this particular area is that you'll pre-exhaust your muscles by hitting cardiovascular equipment before a heavy resistance workout. This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, you'll greatly enhance your gains if you do your aerobic activity first, so the old theory that cardiovascular exercise should be done after you've finished with the weights is not true.

Despite the old theory that you'll exhaust your muscles if you do aerobic work before resistance training, science proves that the opposite is true. Test subjects experienced better weight loss and muscular hypertrophy when they did aerobic work first.

What about HIIT? The same results applied here too.

How is this possible? It's mainly down to two enzymes which the body releases during prolonged exercise activity. Those two enzymes are AMPK and mTOR. AMPK is the enemy of building lean muscle tissue. It's released to help the body adapt to endurance exercise, so you'll notice this enzyme during cardiovascular activity.

The second enzyme, mTOR, is the key which turns on the muscle building process after a resistance training session. The bad news is that AMPK kills off mTOR, meaning if you stay in the gym after a training session and perform prolonged cardiovascular exercise you are significantly blunting your own muscle building process. Granted you can still achieve results, but they would be significantly superior if you did things the opposite way around.

When the body increases it's release of mTOR enzyme it's signalling the beginning of the so-called 'golden window' for nutrition. This is the often fabled period of time where your body will make the most of any nutrients you provide it with. Release is increased for up to six hours.

If you choose to separate your training into two sessions, bear in mind what we have just pointed out. Research shows that you should separate your two training sessions by at least six hours, so if you want to hit the weights first thing in the morning and then the treadmill later in the day that is absolutely fine, just ensure there is enough time between both sessions to maximize your results.

When you are trying to lean how to build muscle in the gym, you'll encounter many areas which are shrouded in mystery and doubt, often coming down to little more than personal opinion. Thanks to ongoing scientific research, however, the question 'Should you do cardio before or after weights?' is no longer something which falls into this category.




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